《The Tsunami That Broke My Wall》 Chapter 1 One¡¯s Birthplace 01. Family Inside the Wall Rain started pouring as if to honour my execution. Soon the axe would strike my forearm. The others joked that this was something a child, who grew up outside the wall, would experience at least once. The grown-ups scoffed, saying, ¡®A life outside the wall can only truly start after experiencing this.¡¯ They called this a rite of passage, an adult¡¯s honour, an honest ceremony, among other things. Those were pretty names for a pickpocket¡¯s execution. ¡°You seem to be on the quiet side.¡± The moment the lady opened her mouth, the carriage shook. The coachman said that it was nothing alarming, the carriage had caught on a stone. The lady, who sat comfortably, smiled. It was a generous smile that meant she would allow this much. ¡°It seems so.¡± The lady took the reins of the conversation and shook it. It seemed she desired to avoid the silence of the carriage. ¡°Shall we start with your name?¡± A pickpocket¡¯s name was useless. Is she a lady with a softer heart than she looks? Those in higher positions cut off ordinary peoples arms and are quick to forget cutting them. ¡°My name is Iara.¡± The lady¡¯s expression was difficult to describe. It was like a bitter sadness, like a smile without contempt. She set the teacup she¡¯d held on her thigh. ¡°It¡¯s unique. It is a name that isn¡¯t generally used in the dome.¡± The lady inquired as if merely passing the time. ¡°Who gave you your name?¡± I gazed at her fair skin, fleshy body, with interest. She seemed uninterested in the goods I stole. She didn¡¯t even appear to want to cut off my arm. However, I could not handle a noble like her, who treated me as a charity case. Ten years of standing on the outer wall. If the stolen goods were nothing more than an excuse to hold me, there must be something else she wanted. ¡°Madam, do you want any information?¡± ¡°Information?¡± The lady¡¯s expression changed. Sympathy disappeared and her interest was revived. It seems as if the lady hadn¡¯t even considered asking about it, typical of those who have grown up beautifully. ¡°You must be selling information, too.¡± ¡°If the lady wishes.¡± That day was the worst. Flying insects were laying eggs in the stew, the underwear hanging on the clothesline were almost rained on, and the pickpockets who looked like they were snooping around were caught. And of all things, I just had to be caught by the Lady of Vallerka, a high-ranking noble. I do not know what someone from Vallerka would be doing in a back alley, but I¡¯ll be grateful if she cuts off one of my arms. If I make a mistake, she¡¯ll probably have both my legs cut off. The lady¡¯s interest seemed to be waning. She put the teacup to her lips again and glanced at me with sharp eyes. She could have been more of an annoying character than an outspoken evildoer. Perhaps she enjoys psychologically driven torture, the kind of person that takes pleasure in seeing a person¡¯s face turning pale. ¡°Madam.¡± If that was the case, pleading would work better than negotiating. ¡°If you¡¯re going to cut it, cut off my right arm.¡± The lady¡¯s brows furrowed terribly. However, the atmosphere defied my expectations. Her silence emphasized the sound of pouring rain. My situation was similar to a raindrop hitting a carriage. Falling somewhere undesired before breaking into pieces. But there was a difference. Rain held no feelings, whereas I, will surrender with open-mouthed fear. ¡°Why the right hand? Don¡¯t people usually ask to cut off their left arm?¡± Fortunately, the lady¡¯s face regained the calmness of the spring sun on New Year¡¯s Day. She was a woman good at controlling her emotions. ¡°We all have the same arms, so there¡¯s something we can do with our left and right arms. But if you don¡¯t have your right arm, you¡¯ll likely be unreliable in the back alley, and they¡¯ll feel sorry for me even if I beg.¡± The outer walls are full of one-armed and one-eyed, who are useless as they are lame. If a person¡¯s life was ruined the same as the previous generation (who became lame), wouldn¡¯t it be natural to follow their footsteps (do what they do in order to get sympathy). I always had a hunch that this day would come before I could even stop it. Whether it be yesterday or today, it followed me like a fate I¡¯d inevitably face. Still, if one of my arms is cut off, I won¡¯t be able to steal any more, with nothing but my left arm I could stick my hand out and beg. ¡°Iara.¡± If only I can survive this lady¡¯s clutches. ¡°I¡­¡± The lady put the teacup she had placed on her thigh under her feet. She straightened her back and neatly put her hands together. She appeared earnest to engage in conversation. ¡°I won¡¯t chop your arm off.¡± ¡®Are you going to torture me then?¡¯ The words were at the tip of my tongue, but luckily, I didn¡¯t spit them out. I had an eye to discern the obvious. This lady was peculiar. Maybe she wanted to play a different kind of game. The problem was I couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of game it would be. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want from me.¡± ¡°Would you mind answering my question?¡± It was a rude question. However, the lady seemed to welcome me with open arms. The request was simple. Who was I to rebel? What else can a puppy do besides wag its tail? ¡°Yes.¡± The lady smiled graciously and crossed one leg. ¡°Do you have parents?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Why wouldn¡¯t everyone else have one? They were gone before I got a taste of this sour world. But I was in front of someone who could save my life. I muttered my reply. ¡°I don¡¯t know what my father did, and I don¡¯t remember my mother¡­¡­All I can remember is baking cookies or something.¡± I grew up in the back alley of the outer wall since I was four years old. My memories of my family were vague. There weren¡¯t many to dwell on or recall. I hummed a song while sitting at a woven table. Mother was baking sweet cookies which made my mouth water. A grey-haired woman stroked my head, saying, ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait a little while, so sit still.¡± Every time Lupen said this: It¡¯s you who came to the back alley by rejecting the orphanage. I didn¡¯t have a suitable guardian, so I learned there how to steal since about four or five years ago. ¡°Was your mother¡¯s name Sina?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Lady was like a doll in a display window. Dolls adorned in dresses sitting side by side watching passers-by. Their glass eyes were unchanging, their hair never out of place. This lady always speaks kindly, if I had a chance to be like her, I¡¯d have no choice but to be born again. It has been fifteen days since I tied my hair back, it was like a hood over my stained face. My jacket was also worn out, the sleeves looked ragged as if eaten by rats. I couldn¡¯t help that we were born different. This lady must have lived in the city of Bayer since birth, and, given that I am a lone child of the outer wall since birth, each person¡¯s birthplace is naturally what controls one¡¯s life. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know how to read?¡± ¡°Just a bit.¡± The lady¡¯s face brightened a little. She pulled out a book from the leather bag she brought. It was a book the size of the palm of my hand. ¡°Would you like to read this?¡± I alternated looking at the lady¡¯s hand and my darkened hand. The surface seemed to be dyed black. I shook my head. ¡°I think it will get dirty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if it gets dirty.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Lupen, my so-called father, slapped me in the face if I brought money that fell short of the usual quota. He did not hesitate to threaten me, often telling me that he would stab me with a knife. He was the adult that was often around me. I hated people who make me feel ashamed and humiliated. Those people usually live with greater darkness inside their hearts. People with sweet tongues and cold eyes. Those who tried to weigh me down with their shady desires. Those who think it¡¯s better to be an adult who beats and yells. ¡°Why do you not mind if I get this dirty?¡± I wish she would cut my arm off. It was uncomfortable here. It felt like I was peeking into a life I couldn¡¯t enjoy, as if my situation was like a caterpillar that had burrowed in the ground. Like said caterpillar, I¡¯d be forced to crawl beneath a carriage for the rest of my life. The Lady was not cruel, but my life here was. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You have beautiful eyes.¡± Is she criticising me for being badly ruined? Even though Lupen sometimes said he¡¯d pluck out my eyeballs and put them up for auction, it¡¯s beautiful. I felt embarrassed to raise my head. There was nothing to look at, so I stared out the window. I thought she¡¯d scold me, but the lady lifted her cup without saying a word. Once upon a time, someone said that when the sky cries, it rains. Today¡¯s sky must be filled with sad things. The crying sky seemed to predict my future as I held back my tears and runny nose. Is it enough to work as her maid? I didn¡¯t want to bend my back under such a person. I didn¡¯t mean to live listening to this innocent lady. There was freedom in the back alley. If only I earned the quota that day. But to do maid work in a place where I was uncertain when they¡¯d cut my arm off? It would be safer to run on thin ice. The carriage silently crossed through the rain, came to a stop. The horseman knocked on the carriage politely. The sound was almost buried by the pouring rain. The lady gazed back at me and smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Chapter 2 Moving From The Shadows A hum sounded. It was a loud bugle sound. It climbed over the wall and shook the ground. A large door opened giving access to the other side. I swear it was a wall. The gate¡¯s height seemed endless, if one peered up to see its end, it would never be in sight, it was so high, as if to mock the heavens. The gray door opened its mouth, swallowing the carriage. The carriage galloped through it before it closed. ¡°Are you curious?¡± Raindrops clung to the window as if trying to break in. My mouth slowly began to tingle. This wasn¡¯t normal. I don¡¯t usually touch people. If things go wrong, it won¡¯t just end with an arm. Even if I become a maid, I must bow down. Whether or not the lady knew my head was spinning she smiled and took off her gloves. ¡°Welcome back home, Yere.¡± Even if I haven¡¯t learned much, I know what Yereka and Vallerka mean. ¡°What?¡± Vallereka had only two positions in each department, and Yereka had only four positions in the country, directly under the king, leading to such Vallereka. Is she telling me that most of the nobles of Yereka are troubles? I heard that if you block the road, your arms will be cut off. These people were so great that you¡¯d have to bow so deep your head would break. Even Lupen who¡¯s fearless wouldn¡¯t mess with them. Those who value their lives view the gold-rimmed carriages like a plague. However, I was caught by the lady who wore the coat of arms* of Vallerka, who had been around for a long time. Even though I was skeptical the entire time, I was certain that there must be something wrong with my head. (* She¡¯s one the people working for Vallerka) ¡°Shall we get off?¡± She asked as if I had a choice. The coachman opened the carriage door, then handed over a robe to protect me from the rain. It wasn¡¯t one, it was two robes. Gold thread was embroidered at the end of the black robe. ¡°Cover yourself. Yere.¡± Could she be role-playing? She could be the type of person who would treat me like I was supposed to be served, doll me up, and then play mind games with me. I pulled the robe over my head as the lady instructed. Would role playing be better than dying? ¡°Get down first.¡± The coachman reached out his hand. Do I need to borrow this old grandfather¡¯s hand for something I can do by jumping? I grabbed his wrinkled hand sullenly. ¡°Yere.¡± Suddenly, the lady left the carriage and stood next to me. ¡°Can we walk together?¡± Come to think of it, this lady has been using my name since we first met. Did I forget because I was so nervous? Or do nobles really just talk politely and formally? The lady¡¯s pointed shoes stepped into a puddle of water. My swollen and bare feet followed, stepping into the puddle. There wasn¡¯t a single person around. Just a lone carriage in this meadow. If the weather had been nice, I might have been amazed. The turquoise field didn¡¯t have even a single flower. Judging by the consistent height of the grasses, it seemed to be managed daily. There was not even a pebble on the road that ran through the middle of the field. I had never seen a well-maintained field on the outer wall. Also, grass is good enough for humans to eat, so why is there a place that grows grass with no signs of being plucked to the root? Torches were placed on either side of the road. The fire in the torches was the kind that wasn¡¯t snuffed, even if it rained. My mouth was agape. The lady slowed her steps so that I could look freely. It was too much consideration on her part. ¡°Do you know where this is? Yere.¡± Eventually, we reached another wall. There was nothing to call a door on the wall as it looked like an upside-down book. In front of this high wall that catches the rain, I was merely an ant in comparison. ¡°This is the province of Uterbal, also home of Yereka of the West.¡± I couldn¡¯t even say ¡®I see¡¯. Without realizing it, my ears pricked out of habit. The lady¡¯s smile said that she didn¡¯t mind. She seemed quite happy. ¡°Would you take a step back? Yere.¡± As soon as I got used to this absurd game, what appeared to be a wall, gave out a noise. I heard the sounds of stones rolling, and a crack began to appear in the bottom center part of the wall. Gold light leaked out. I took two steps back. The light that flowed through the crack beckoned. More and more light shone through. The wall swallowed the door (the door opening more, therefore escaping view) as more light spilled through (the more the door opened). The door opened allowing access from each side of the wall. There was a human shadow beyond the opening. I thought it was just the two of them, but suddenly my heart sank. I trembled since I was nervous. I must have looked so pitiful, the lady covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°Forgive me for the lack of explanation. Yere.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Not knowing what to say, I bit my fingernails. My mouth filled with the taste of the earth. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from rainwater or the taste of soil on my hands. The door opened so widely that it seems like it was being ripped open enough to be torn sideways. The first thing I spotted was men clad in armour. They were standing in a straight line on the left and one line on the right, looking at each other. I was supposed to walk between them. A flag was held in each of the men¡¯s hands, but in my eyes it looked like a spear or a sword. ¡°Yere.¡± I was left wavering while the lady set her foot forward first. She walked boldly down the lane with the armoured men that lined each side. This was no place to stand still or run away. It¡¯s been a while since I rode the carriage, but if I ran barefoot, wouldn¡¯t it be a flea?* I followed the lady, muttering and cursing. (*It means it¡¯s no point in running away) The light was blinding so I couldn¡¯t see too far in the distance. The men that bordered the walkway peered straight forward. No one looked down at me. On the contrary, even when I openly gawked at them, no one pointed it out or ripped open my belly to kill me. I looked at the men who were standing with an upright posture once or twice more before it got boring, and I became less anxious. The inside of the wall was deeper than expected. There was no end to these men. It was as if they had captured all the men in the dome and lined them up here. ¡°Ah.¡± My steps were so heavy my feet became cold. I frowned as the light poured over me. It was the end of the wall. The lady walked into the light while I lingered in the shade of the wall. It was an orange light. A lamp that seemed to have dropped the flame into a glass. It hung at the end of the long lance point. Flames rose on both sides of the road, and warm lotus lights rose on the floor. The stone seemed to hold heat. My rain soaked feet were getting hot. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was morning or afternoon. The sky was dark with rain clouds. A castle was visible in the distance. The roof came to a point like it was cut from a mountain, and the body was in the shape of sitting with arms outstretched. If I go to the end, will I reach that castle? I stood motionless. I couldn¡¯t escape the wall¡¯s shade. Realizing that I was frozen, the lady paused. No. It wasn¡¯t because of me. In front of the lady stood three shadows. They were different sizes. Two adults and a child. The lady bent her knees in front of these shadows that seemed to have arrived. The three unidentified people were steadfast. There was a person who could make this lady that wore the Vallerka¡¯s symbol kneel. ¡°Yere.¡± Until then I¡¯d blamed this as some crazy game of the lady¡¯s, but now I only had myself to blame thinking I overcame misfortune. Shall I go out? Because it seems like I might end up like a frog in boiling water. (T/N: If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will instantly leap out. But if you put it in a pot filled with pleasantly tepid water and gradually heat it, the frog will remain in the water until it boils to death.) But there was no retreat. Behind me stood rows of armoured men, and there were walls on all sides. Will I climb up the wall? Or will I plead that I didn¡¯t do wrong? Both offered little chance of surviving. At that moment, the shadow of a tall man approached. He was an old man with white hair. His eyes were red with tears, he brushed my hair back. I closed my eyes tightly, believing he was about to hit me. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But no matter how long I waited, no matter how much I flinched, the pain I had waited for did not come. I slowly opened my eyes. No one slapped me. Before my eyes there was just an old man on his knees. My eyes opened wide. ¡°What is your name?¡± It was a soft voice but at the same time low and heavy. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to scold you.¡± His thick hands wrapped around my shoulders. I felt embarrassed and glanced forward. The lady and two shadows stared at me. Slowly, I spoke my name. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Iara.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes curved as he laughed. There were no wrinkles on his face, as if he lived a trouble-free life. This old man was smiling a lot. There were only wrinkles in the fine lines of his face each time he smiled. ¡°Shall we go over there? Iara.¡± I¡¯m probably sixteen years old. Lupen guaranteed it with his molar. It seemed this old man¡¯s eyes were dim, he treated me like I was six or seven. He carefully wrapped his arms around my shoulders and walked forward. I felt the weight of his hand. His gait was also slow and heavy. Such a person was dragging me along, and I couldn¡¯t stand like a foal. I was taken away without any other option. As we got closer, the darkness that covered the people lifted. I saw a girl with the same blonde hair as me and light green eyes. The long turquoise cloak of the child hung over her black lace skirt and a white shirt as fine as a bird¡¯s feathers. The child¡¯s eyes were similar to mine. However, hers were a different hue of yellow-green. She was as noble as a star. But despair resided in the child¡¯s eyes. As if she was accustomed to sadness rather than joy and despair rather than hope. As I have known. Chapter 3 The Wall Welcomes You ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to check.¡± Standing next to the child, the lady with red hair stared at me. She seemed to be the mother of the child. The clothes she wore had a similar feeling. ¡°You look just like your grandmother.¡± The hand that held my shoulder gave strength. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it was burdensome. My gaze found the floor. ¡°I¡¯m glad you found it. Yereka.¡± The lady who brought me looked excited. ¡°Mrs. Widman. I will never forget this grace.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The honor of finding the successor to the West is enough. Yereka.¡± As if she had done her duty, the lady stepped back. What the hell is going on between them? I felt excluded from this conversation. I needed to know whether I should run or beg. But my confusion was less than this noble girl. The child was shaking as if she was punished. Of course, it was I who stole the child¡¯s hand and I knew it. ¡°Iara.¡± A hand wrapped around my shoulder helping to remove my robe. She had the same blonde hair and light green eyes. But mine were darker than hers. ¡°She¡¯s your mother. Iara.¡± I couldn¡¯t even open my lips. ¡°Father, if you say so¡­.¡± The red-haired lady felt regretful instead of angry. The atmosphere here, the words spoken, these people, were all floating away somewhere. It didn¡¯t seem real. Either these poor nobles are under some kind of delusion or just plain crazy. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re mistaken about something.¡± My throat, which had been locked for a long time, sounded dry. After I opened my mouth, the old man smiled brightly. ¡°You have the same voice as your grandmother!¡± The old man¡¯s laughter boomed. The dignity I felt from them at first flew away with wings. The two people in front of me looked like they were going to keel over, while the old man standing next to me hummed. The lady with red hair seemed cold-hearted, spoke next. ¡°The mother of this child?¡± The eyes of the red-haired lady looked to the side. The lady who brought me here bent her knee once again. ¡°Yere said she died when she was young, but I¡¯ll send someone out to confirm.¡± ¡°If she is alive.¡± Before the words were finished, the red-haired lady opened her lips. ¡°If she is alive, don¡¯t hurt her nails, toenails or anything, bring her to me.¡± She showed her position was higher than everyone else. The redhead had a knack for freezing the surroundings. Silence followed her remark. Only the excited old man dragged me forward. ¡°Iara.¡± The tall girl raised her head. We made eye contact. Her eyes showed she was about to cry if touched. ¡°Sandoria.¡± Then the red-haired lady murmured something. I looked up at her, but she didn¡¯t look at me. The lady¡¯s eyes were red, intentionally looking far away. The lady turned around and walked away, as if she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. The old man next to me sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Sandoria.¡± The child named Sandoria bowed her head. ¡°Iara.¡± I peered up at the old man. These people were making a huge mistake. When the truth comes out, won¡¯t the only one whose neck flies away be mine? But whether or not he knew my concerns, the white-haired old man said something else. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t cry and hug you, it doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t love you.¡± ¡°Love?¡± I felt as if I had eaten the remnants of tea. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s love. At that time, I contemplated my mother, who was moving away, Sandoria, who was standing still, and my grandfather smiling as if drawing. It wasn¡¯t that they¡¯re my family, or that the lady is related to me that centred my thinking. Rather, I was immersed in thoughts that this was their delusion. I was drenched in sweat that I¡¯d be kicked out. That¡¯s what I feared the most. I will be scolded; I will be hurt. Please support our website and read on daonovel.com ¡°If it¡¯s not me. It is not my fault.¡± The old hand that was patting my back halted. We exchanged glances. At least, I wanted to hear a definite answer from this person who looked soft. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Look at your feet.¡± My head bowed. In this place, covered with pale yellow stones, the stone I stood on was orange. ¡°The wall welcomes you. How could you not be our child?¡± I looked at the stones beneath the lady and her child, they were yellow. Only the old man and my feet were on orange stones. It was warm between the toes that had been soaked in the rain. The light that warmed my wet body, the hands that pat me as if to reassure me, and Sandoria¡¯s eyes that were trembling. That was the first day I saw the light from the dome. * * * They swept the dust off me from the morning. One wiped my teeth with a soft cloth, and another put white foam on my head. The maids on either side of me rubbed my elbows. There are a lot of dark spots there, or something. A maid blew my nose, like one would a child, and one went back to brushing my hair. As a maid warmed the water, the others suddenly poured cold water on my head. They said it¡¯s good for the skin. They told me to stay still because they¡¯d take care of the water. I stood with my arms open as they squeezed water from a cloth and washed me. When they thought I¡¯d been cleaned to a certain extent they put fragrant oil in my hair again. After they told me to close my eyes the maid repeated the tedious procedure of washing me by squeezing water from the cloth. ¡°Yere, you must have been uncomfortable all night without a decent bedroom.¡± People here don¡¯t seem to know the true meaning of discomfort. My ass rubbed a hard floor all my life that it was almost black. I had no way of knowing whether I was being rebuked or if it was being mentioned out of curiosity. I scratched my itchy nose. Then the woman who was brushing my hair grabbed my wrist. ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you.¡± I think I slept the wrong way over there. My back arched like a slug, avoiding her fingers. ¡°Are you going to scratch my nose for me?¡± When I looked at her as if I were looking at a sick person, everyone, including her, laughed. ¡°Because that¡¯s our job. To make sure that Yere does not have to do anything.¡± ¡°Eww.¡± ¡°Yes. Good job. Please treat me like you just did, Yere.¡± They applied something sticky to my chapped lips. Breathing in the fragrance of flowers, I awoke to someone¡¯s hands braiding my hair. ¡°Are you awake?¡± When I woke up completely, someone was wiping the saliva from my chin. So, she was doing this until I woke up. The six of them were standing there watching me as I slept. ¡°It was time for you to get up. Yere seems to have good sense.¡± She has been saying sweet things like this since she bathed me last night. At this rate, I became worried that I wouldn¡¯t shed tears even if I didn¡¯t get to my appointment on time. I walked away with an awkward gesture. Each time I took a step I heard my skirt make a sound. It was brittle and stiff. The lace that touched my skin was rough. Whether the maids would laugh or not, I stopped to scratch my calf before walking again. The six people behind me didn¡¯t even make fun of me. They only pointed out where I had to go. Right, Yere. Turn left, Yere. There was no way I had a choice. If I had to go down the stairs, I would go down, and if I had to turn around, I would turn around. The women didn¡¯t say anything about me raising my skirts, but when someone came from the opposite side, they walked ahead and covered me. ¡°Yere.¡± There was only one door at the end of the hall. The woman standing in front of me bowed her head then opened the door. These people did what most people could on their own. Should I be surprised or kick my tongue because it¡¯s extravagant? Still, it was a lot of fun to be welcomed. I was more blinded by what was set up on the table than by the people. The colour and smell it gave off twisted my stomach. The girl named Sandoria was sitting at the table, and in front of her were the people called mother and grandfather. I sat down in an empty seat. It was next to Sandoria. I was so hungry. The children where I lived were always hungry, and hungry children were invisible. When something to eat was thrown, I¡¯d rushed in like a monk cat. Even if I was servile, I had to eat to survive. ¡°Yere. Did you sleep comfortably?¡± I don¡¯t know who talked to me. If I saw something to eat, my hand went out first. I ripped off the leg of a bird-like thing. I brought it to my mouth, stuffed the lump inside, then lifted the watery soup that was in the bowl and poured it down my throat. I picked up the head of a fish while chewing on the sweet flesh. I didn¡¯t know the type of fish. I didn¡¯t even know what it tasted like. First, I put it in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. While my molars crushed the flesh of the fish, I tore the back of the tough bird. After swallowing it without chewing properly, I held the grilled brown meat with both hands. I just opened my mouth and mumbled, before suddenly realizing that the surroundings had gone quiet. Their expressions were one I¡¯d never seen before. Their faces were more desperate than children caught crossing the wall in broad daylight. Grandfather wrinkled his nose, and mother stopped and covered her mouth with a handkerchief. It was funny when I wasn¡¯t in a situation to laugh. I laughed because I couldn¡¯t smile, but the meat I was chewing fell out of my mouth. I hurriedly picked it up and popped it back in my mouth. ¡°Ha, haha¡­hahaha.¡± Chapter 4 The Depth of Emotions The same laughter rung out in front of me. It came from the woman called mother. Come to think of it, there were not many people standing around the table. ¡°Dad.¡± The lady stopped laughing and tilted her head. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°To stop looking for that woman. I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°She¡¯s dead anyway.¡± ¡°Even if she¡¯s dead, we should find the body.¡± I rolled my eyes and gazed at the two. Watching a fight is the most fun, isn¡¯t it? I reached out to have a drink of water when someone placed a glass in my hand. When I looked around, there was a girl named Sandoria. Her plate was empty. She didn¡¯t touch anything on the table. ¡°My daughter was raised like a beast cub, and her own daughter, here, as a princess. Whoever I am, whatever the circumstances are. She didn¡¯t care about her relatives, her niece, or anyone else.¡± ¡°Sisi.¡± When I reached out to rip off the flesh of the bird again, a chair was pushed back. The red-haired lady glanced at me once, before she walked out whilst grabbing her forehead as if she was exhausted. I put down the wings I picked up for no reason. ¡°Iara.¡± Grandpa¡¯s hand, which had briefly covered his eyes, grabbed the wing I left, and handed it to me. ¡°Eat a lot.¡± I shoved the wings I received into my mouth. I couldn¡¯t stop even though I felt full. While my hands continued to busily fly around the table, everyone else around the table acted indifferent pretending to be stuffed. Pick this up, pick that up again, then drink from the soup bowl while trying to guzzle water. Only my grandfather patiently watched the meal that was frantic, even for me. ¡°Grandpa.¡± The sound of Sandoria¡¯s chair being pushed back rung out as she stood up. The girl¡¯s hands wriggled as she spoke. ¡°It¡¯s class time soon. May I be excused?¡± Grandfather gave a light nod. His eyes regarded Sandoria, then immediately returned to me. She glanced at me as I was sucking my seasoned hand. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to follow me, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sandoria was about to leave but stopped. I wiped my seasoned lips with my white sleeve. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°To class.¡± Chewing the leftover food in my mouth, I peeked at Sandoria. The child turned pale. ¡°Do I have to do it?¡± I hated learning something. I don¡¯t know how much I whined when I learned to cheat. When I learned how to read to a certain extent, I¡¯d gave up after that. However, my grandfather¡¯s usual kind expression was currently quite cold. ¡°You have to do it.¡± Am I in a position to refuse? I was still a lark sitting on a tip of grass. I felt like I¡¯d be kicked out, being told, it¡¯s not you, but another child. If I think about it, the only similarities we share are our eyes and hair color. If I was to get drunk on happiness, it¡¯d hurt twice as much when I lost it. I was careful not to expect too much. I followed the child stopping from time to time to catch my breath. I wanted to eat more. I guess I¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow. * * * Class hours were fixed. The teacher was very strict, if you are late for the appointed time, you wouldn¡¯t be able to set foot inside the class. So, I couldn¡¯t change my clothes, since I was dragged there to be seated. My lips were wiped by others, but the problem was the seasoned sleeves. I wanted to hide in a rat hole again. I hadn¡¯t understood anything since earlier. Dishevelled hair, and lips stuck together. My first impression couldn¡¯t have been good. Sandoria sat close to the teacher, answering all the questions like a parrot. In fact, what kind of answer could someone who arrived just yesterday give fluently? Perhaps my ability to remove a money bag without touching someone¡¯s butt? ¡°Did you say Iara?¡± I could tell at a glance that this teacher was a woman with a fierce impression, just by looking at her meticulously combed hair. I figured the time to speak had come. ¡°Professor.¡± Please support our website and read on daonovel.com At that time, Sandoria stepped up and blocked the teacher¡¯s path. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know anything yet.¡± Sandoria¡¯s hair, hung loose and wavy, was alluring. It¡¯s so beautiful that I wondered if I too could be that beautiful. I couldn¡¯t believe a young lady could have such thin fingers, perfect tone, flawless skin, or such a slender figure to match a delicate heart. It¡¯s unfair enough to make my stomach churn. ¡°Sandoria.¡± By then, the teacher who I thought would walk past me, sat by Sandoria. ¡°Is it a good thing for that child to be left unaware of everything? If it¡¯s really for your family, you should let me beat her to teach her.¡± I was dumbfounded by those words. From the time I was born I¡¯d never heard of the method of beating to teach someone. If there was one thing my teacher didn¡¯t really grasp, it was the fact that my head wasn¡¯t very smart. But the teacher pointed out my attitude rather than my head. I didn¡¯t seem to have any motivation, no greed. I¡¯ve been an awkward person since I arrived. I was hauled here overnight, and without knowing the reason, I was treated well. It¡¯s a problem because such a big good luck can cause one to pass out, so I don¡¯t know how to accept it. What if it collapses after anticipation? What if you love and then hate me? I didn¡¯t expect or want to love it until it was revealed properly. In the back alley, things were fair. We all lied together scratching our stomachs and stole this, or stole that, all we had to do was brag about it. There was no standard for comparison. But whenever I was next to Sandoria I felt so ashamed that I wanted to find a rat hole. The teacher gave me a considerable amount of homework every day. Of course, when I tried to do it, the result was a mess. I had no interest in learning history or mathematics, instead what I could recall about class was the uncomfortable atmosphere, how my clothes felt too tight, how the teacher was terrifying, and Sandoria¡¯s eyes which stared at me from the side. The shameful memory kept me at my desk. I don¡¯t know why. I remembered how Sandoria answered questions without hesitation, as I wrote down delusional answers. Was it because I envied Sandoria, who monopolized the teacher¡¯s happy face that day? Or is it because of the jealousy that if I knew the answers, I would have won the teacher¡¯s smile? Either way, it was not due to such beautiful feelings. A sense of inferiority cropped up when I forgot to appreciate what I have. * * * The truth came at an unexpected moment. I didn¡¯t want to open my eyes, but I woke up out of habit. It was dawn, the time when grass bugs were crying. I had tossed and turned the entire night before I had to wake up at this early hour. Maybe it was when I realized my gaze was like that of an animal at mealtime that I became conscious of what I ate all afternoon. I was so hungry that I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. I tried to call a maid but decided to get up instead. I knocked on the empty stomach and went down the stairs. I didn¡¯t know where the main kitchen was located. I was about to rummage through the maid¡¯s kitchen, while the lights were shut off. Perhaps it¡¯s not right to go out confidently through the main gate. By the time I entered the back door frequently used by maids and brought out some bread, a familiar voice filled the hallway. The road to success was at hand. Just a few more steps and I¡¯d reach the backdoor. ¡ª¡¯Is it because of Sandoria?¡¯ (mother) At the end of the hallway, there was a brightly lit room. If it weren¡¯t for the mother¡¯s voice, or if it wasn¡¯t for hearing the girl¡¯s name, I would have passed. I wouldn¡¯t have eavesdropped like a mouse. I held my breath and stuck close to the wall. The voice flowing out was quiet, but the pronunciation was clear. I could understand everything. ¡ª¡®If the reason father is protecting that thief is because of Sandoria, then that¡¯s not right either.¡¯ (Mother) (T/N: In this case the thief being referred to here is Sandoria¡¯s bio mom. Sisi is saying it¡¯s not right to protect a thief just because she happens to be Sandoria¡¯s mother.) ¡ª¡®Sisi.¡¯ (Grandfather) ¡ª¡®She kidnapped my daughter. Then raised my daughter to be her back-alley bitch and gave Sandoria everything my daughter was supposed to learn.¡¯ (Mother) My ears captured the mother¡¯s sharp voice. I covered my mouth to stop from gasping. I sat down carefully and reflected on my mother¡¯s words. ¡ª¡¯Because it¡¯s my uncle¡¯s woman? That¡¯s why you are covering her up?¡¯ (Mother) (T/N: In this instance ???? uncle means Sisi¡¯s husband¡¯s older brother.) ¡ª¡¯I¡¯m saying that there¡¯s nothing good about taking this job. Sisi.¡¯ (Grandfather) ¡ª¡¯There¡¯s no point in finding her body, why create troubles from useless work?¡¯ (Grandfather) There were times when others were only vague about Sandoria, even if they introduced me to every little thing. But she wasn¡¯t my sister or even a half-sister. What is my relationship with that child, what the hell are we if not sisters, and why is it that, at times when my mother¡¯s gaze is directed at Sandoria it seems as messy as my homework that I carry. I knew nothing about this castle, and my ignorance only fuelled my imagination. The conclusion I came to after many days was that I might have been brought here to be used in place of Sandoria. ¡°Ah.¡± Looking back unintentionally, I managed to swallow a scream that was about to pop out. I got up with shaky legs. The shadow behind me took a step back. Sandoria¡¯s sleepy face was crying. Looking at the water glass in her hand, I guess she came down because she was thirsty. Sandoria¡¯s face seemed to say she heard everything. **** Chapter 5 Understanding Warmth Sandoria was an unknown child. I thought she was treating me kindly, but at a decisive moment, she exposed herself sharply. She didn¡¯t mean to embarrass me, but sometimes she would go out of her way to answer something the teacher hadn¡¯t asked. I thought she was simply good at giving answers, but it wasn¡¯t long after I noticed that Sandoria deliberately showed off. I neither hated nor liked Sandoria. However, I envied that child¡¯s hair, proper posture, and elegant steps. Unlike me, who is blunt, she is kind to everyone, and I don¡¯t even dare to imitate her. But this was the same child who grabbed my wrist roughly. She dragged me away from my mother¡¯s room and pushed me into the maid¡¯s kitchen. And after confirming that no one was there, she pointed out my appearance in an angry voice. ¡°That¡¯s only for the maids. Do you really have to take it this morning?¡± Sandoria threw the bread from my arms back into the basket. I could see why Sandoria was angry. I too was messed up, like Sandoria¡¯s face. I was angry because I was embarrassed. ¡°Can¡¯t I eat it?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t left for just anyone to eat. It¡¯s up to the maids. On top of that, you even ate earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all mine. Everything¡± I wanted to be close to Sandoria as much as I admired her. But I realized now was that we couldn¡¯t get close from the beginning. I sensed it. The answer was revealed when I connected mother¡¯s conversation with Sandoria¡¯s attitude. (T/N: She sensed that she discovered the answer was revealed (why they brought lara there) after her mom¡¯s convo and Sandoria¡¯s superior attitude.) ¡°I heard it.¡± I knew Sandoria would be hurt, but I said it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who exchanged you and me?¡± My eyes gleamed as I stepped forward. ¡°I thought you could be my sister.¡± The child stepped back. Sandoria didn¡¯t realize she dropped the bread as she was backed into the corner of the kitchen. She completely lost hold of the breadbasket when her back hit the wall. The distance between us narrowed. Sandoria¡¯s eyes were as weak as a gentle sheep. ¡°You must have grown up really nicely.¡± Have I ever had a fight with a noble lady who had her nails trimmed every day? Whether this was mine or that this child stole it, I was more embarrassed than angered at her at that moment. I was caught secretly coming down and stealing bread after eating as much as a bird feeds to imitate her, and I was caught. No matter how I acted or dressed up I couldn¡¯t hide that I was a pickpocket. ¡°I¡¯m jealous. You grew up without suffering.¡± So maybe I stabbed a sharp knife into this gentle sheep who lost her nails. My cold voice hit the child¡¯s shoulder. I left the kitchen as if that was all I had to say. Sandoria couldn¡¯t even make a sound. She was a child who constantly seemed to walk on thin ice. When I looked back, the child was burying her face in her knees. Three days later, our relationship became clear. We¡¯re cousins. Sandoria was the daughter of my grandfather¡¯s eldest son, and I¡¯m the daughter of his younger son. Sandoria¡¯s mother was a maid. It may have been a night¡¯s sleep for my uncle, and a misfortune for the maid. When my uncle died, my father became the successor, and Sandoria and I were born at the same time. How did she feel? What was the reason for exchanging her daughter, who was just a newborn, with me? Unfortunately, the dead were silent. It was the people living who were left to clean things up. In an accident that no one could answer, I grew up poorly, and Sandoria became the daughter of a sinner. That¡¯s when I found out. That the pain I suffered was proportional to Sandoria¡¯s tears to come. I should have been a little more affectionate that day. * * * I¡¯ve never had a family before. Growing up as an orphan, the only thing I encountered about family was through fairy tales. After stealing books, we¡¯d read all night, joking that each other¡¯s parents would have been witches. Even in fairy tales, parents who didn¡¯t act like good parents came out. Parents who sold their children to witches, or those who left their child at the foot of a mountain, or those who were abused by the people who adopted them. Most of the children in the back alley were orphans, so such fairy tales were not popular. Instead, children¡¯s books that we found popular were the ones that allowed us to have sweet dreams, even if for a short while. The type where our parents eagerly sought us, or those where our parents were kings of a neighboring country. In a way, I could say that I was successful among dogs. Isn¡¯t my life like something out of a fairy tale? The princess who was swapped at birth, forced to live as a beggar, and when the time came to confront the fake daughter who took her original spot, she didn¡¯t kill her, but, well, it was that kind of fairy tale. However, the princess in the fairy tale was not as happy as expected. Of course, the body was comfortable. Even if I stand still, I¡¯m washed, put to sleep, have clothes put on, and if I just say a word, a meal will come out, and I will dress according to my mood and the weather. So, what made me depressed was a kind of contentious grudge. For some reason I still felt like I was a bloody beggar, not a princess. No matter how good the clothes I put on, no matter how much my mother or grandfather called my name, the stains of my past could not be washed out. Sandoria, who looked like death warmed over*, was worthy of the title princess. At that age, she already learnt four foreign languages she can speak. She never gets excited recklessly, and the servants sincerely liked the child. They¡¯d been together for a long time, ever since she was a baby. (*It¡¯s a way of saying someone looks very tired or sick or close to death.) In a portrait I saw by chance, there was a girl who sat between her mother and father, of whom I¡¯d never seen, smiling happily. My father was said to have passed away six years ago. My mother and grandfather are still unfamiliar to me, but my father was already deceased. It was sad that I wasn¡¯t saddened by that fact. What was visible was easy to get. But no matter what I did, my father¡¯s voice, expression, and touch could not be returned. These days, I go out and imitate Sandoria¡¯s elegant gait. When I walked, I adjusted my neck and straightened my back that was bent like a turtle. I¡¯d recall the Sandoria of that day. Her eyes and lips scornfully criticized me for stealing bread, and me, who responded like a fool. I took a few steps and stopped. ¡°Aah¡­S¡ª¡± Why did I try to hurt her so much? Whenever I thought of that day, I wanted to dig a hole for myself. I was a bedbug* who only goofed around without doing anything all day. Adults would soon notice. What could I bring that was of real use, the fact is I¡¯m a thief who couldn¡¯t be used anywhere. (*To be a bedbug means to leech/sponge off of someone.) ¡°Iara.¡± Lying with my head on the fountain, I sat up. It was my grandfather who stood with his hands behind him. ¡°Do you want me to show you something good?¡± ¡°Something good?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± My grandfather offered his hand to me. My hand reached out while thinking about whether to take hold of it or not. In an instant, grandfather lifted me to my feet. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Come here.¡± Grandfather said, ¡®I came out for a walk because my back was stiff.¡¯ I replied, ¡®Yes.¡¯ We went down a path lined with purple flowers. The road was too cramped for two people to walk side by side. It was like a path that a gardener walked by to water. I had no choice but to walk ahead, and my grandfather followed behind. ¡°Your steps have become more elegant.¡± He must have seen me practicing as I walked my ass off. I scratched my thigh after I wiped my nose roughly. I was so embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t keep still. ¡°I didn¡¯t copy anyone.¡± ¡°Who did you copy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Who was it? Is it your mother Sisi? Ria?¡± Ria. It¡¯s probably a nickname for Sandoria. It was natural for grandfather to call out her nickname. ¡°I like your steps, too.¡± I used to walk like a drunk person so I could bump into others to steal gold coins from their inner pocket. That habit was ingrained in my gait. No matter how much I stretched my legs, I was like a chicken, jealous of a swan. I wanted to stop talking about my gait. If you compare things one at a time, is that the only difference between me and that child? I bit my tongue and picked up my pace. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Look ahead.¡± A long wall appeared. Looking up, I saw the end of the wall covered by clouds. It will probably take several days and nights to cross this wall. It could be climbed to climb, but it would be difficult for the body to recover if I sprained a foot. If it is not an ordinary wall, it is impossible to climb to the end. ¡°Is this what you¡¯re going to show me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± What is it? I shouldn¡¯t even dream of getting outside this wall. When I frowned with my arms folded, my grandfather¡¯s big hand popped out from behind. ¡°Iara.¡± Grandpa had his eyes closed with his hands on the wall. I didn¡¯t know what he was doing, so I stood there blankly. Then my grandfather opened one eye and looked at me. ¡°Come here.¡± I was deceived by my grandfather¡¯s kind smile. The nobleman, whose days are flower gardens, would enjoy this kind of thing. I approached it while swallowing a sigh. ¡°Hand.¡± I placed my hand on the wall, without expectations. I thought it was going to be a stone wall, but the outside was soft, as if I was holding on to a thick piece of wool. I could feel the beating of the wall under my palm. Doong doong. I got numb from the pulse that was delivered. It meant that the wall could breathe. ¡°Is it alive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°How?¡± Grandfather put his ear to the wall. Without saying much, he urged me with his eyes. In an awkward position I brought my ear to the wall. There was a rustling sound of soil. There were birds chirping, the sound of the gentle earth breeze, a lullaby to put a baby to sleep, and a flock of sheep crying in a field. ¡°This wall surrounds the whole land of the dome.¡± The wall seemed to capture all the sounds of the land and conveyed them to me. Like running from land to land with a rough beating heart. What I couldn¡¯t see was delivered to me in a whisper. It took away my confusion. As my senses were pulled into the wall. I couldn¡¯t remove my ear from it. ¡°The wall is connected to the whole dome. ¡®Yereka¡¯ means ¡®keeper of the wall.¡¯ Above all else, we are the descendants of Wittervaldo, who are in charge of the Western Wall.¡± Grandfather calmly took his ear from the wall, removed his hands, and straightened his posture. Instead, my grandfather¡¯s hand grasped my shoulder. ¡°And you¡¯re my granddaughter.¡± The wind ruffled my grandfather¡¯s hair and brushed over me. Just like the grass swayed in the wind, my heart fluttered uncontrollably. Grandpa smiled at me. ¡°How far apart we were. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± It was then that I really saw the wall for the first time. I knew my grandfather, and I knew the warmth of his hands. The sound of the wall, of my heart, and the look in my grandfather¡¯s eyes when he called me granddaughter. I understood it for the first time that day. Grandpa guided me up the wall. It was a road with small steps that led to a place known only by successors. If I went up the stairs, I could climb the wall without difficulty. It was barren above the thick wall. Standing there where there was nothing, Grandpa showed me what was beneath. The west faced the sea, and this was the western end. I could observe the flowing sea without a settlement in sight. It was the first time in my life to view the sea. The pitch-dark sea slammed into the wall. It repeatedly sank like a gentle beast even after spreading its grip as if it would swallow the wall. ¡°Iara.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Now you have to protect this wall.¡± ¡°From what?¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Grandfather didn¡¯t answer. He said it¡¯s a story that I don¡¯t need to know yet. When grandfather spoke those words, his expression was quite serious. I couldn¡¯t ask more questions. After that, I often went up there and watched the waves crashing against the wall. Within this castle, I found this place to be my sanctum. The waves were pleasantly noisy, enough to steal my dizzy mind. **** Chapter 6 In Over One¡¯s Head Chapter 02. My cousin¡¯s visit. The weather has been sunny these past few days. Like someone fevered to see the sea, I¡¯d lay against the wall to peer out at it. I wish it had stopped there, but I was so overwhelmed by inexplicable emotions that I couldn¡¯t get drunk off them. To hear ¡°Yere, Yere,¡± made me feel proud. Somehow, I derived a sense of responsibility to protect the wall, a sense that became the source of my troubles because it led me to impulsively visit my teacher. I asked her to give me more homework. I said I lacked knowledge and demanded double. ¡®More?¡¯ The teacher, who came out while teaching Sandoria, asked suspiciously. The strict teacher seemed inclined to refuse. I should have gone back from there. ¡®The amount of homework given now must have been sufficient.¡¯ Whether it was the fear of rejection or my newly acquired disposition that was offensive, I had an ominous feeling. I recalled what my grandfather told me. You¡¯re my granddaughter. Those words emboldened me to seek out my teacher. It was not difficult to ramble out words. I closed my eyes and moved my tongue. I said that studying was fun. ¡®Really?¡¯ I was given a book the size of an arm. I thought the teacher was joking when she told me I had until tomorrow to memorize it. However, it became clear it was no joke after she told me she¡¯d be checking tomorrow. Thanks to that, I couldn¡¯t interpret the meaning of the text, so my head broke, and since my head was broken, the fun quickly ran away. My arrogance made a stealth exit. I had to face the music. In the beginning, I was planning to press the teacher¡¯s nose down. I thought it would be okay if I was able to hang on for the rest of the day. I wrote down the contents and memorized the book. I even ripped the pages from the book, one after another and put them in my mouth. I skipped mealtime and ran. ¡°Should I give up?¡± Even if I memorized it by heart, my progress was at a snail¡¯s pace. I spent the whole day thinking about whether or not I should swallow the entire book. The moon rose in the sky, but I hadn¡¯t finished even half of it yet. The ink I memorized and written was a waste. Why is my body persuaded to nap only when I study? My eyes closed for a little while, which meant I woke up around dawn to an owl¡¯s cry. Soon the sun would rise. I clenched my teeth when I saw the book that I still had half left to memorize. After gritting my teeth painfully, I put the book aside. Since the bell rang anyway, I was thinking about why I would read more. Should I pretend to be sick? No. Whether from a teacher or a snake, you¡¯d know if they spewed poison. The teacher practically made fun of me when I said the amount of homework given couldn¡¯t be considered much. There¡¯s no way. There is no way I can get out of paying the price for my self-inflicted ugliness. I took a deep breath and threw myself on the bed. Still, resentment is resentment, and if I¡¯ve made it this far on the topic, I¡¯ve done very well. I was about to go back to sleep with my blanket thrown on, but I heard the doorknob turn. Who¡¯s coming in before the sun rises? Is it the maid? Is she bringing my breakfast already? As soon as I thought about it, I heard my stomach growl. The intruder giggled as he heard the sound spread throughout the room. Kir Kir. None of the maid¡¯s voices were that husky. I sat up straight and looked at the door. ¡°Surprise!¡± It was a tall, tall boy. Like my mother, he had red hair, and in his hand, were strange wildflowers. He held a flower to my nose. I closed my eyes and felt the flower being placed on my face. Then the boy laughed brightly. ¡°This Edrid came after riding a horse all night just to make you feel better. You got a flower, but the response is¡­¡­.¡± I finally opened my eyes to see Edrid or whatever. His yellow eyes stared at me as if he was embarrassed. This intruder¡¯s mouth was wide open. ¡°Who are you?¡± What is this idiot saying? I wasn¡¯t even studying but I was so annoyed I felt like dying. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to say. Who are you?¡± ¡°Me? Me?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you speak properly?¡± The red-haired boy looked hurt as he closed his mouth. I sighed as I got up to push him away. I closed my book and put it aside, then put the cap back on the ink bottle. I didn¡¯t want to show my desk to others. ¡°Did I mistake the room?¡± It seemed his business was with Sandoria. I hurled the words at him. ¡°Second room from the right.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are your ears blocked?¡± The boy turned red and snorted, as if mad. I was the one who should be angry, and I was becoming angrier. This was our first-time meeting, and I was speechless. ¡°You speak so rudely.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± As if in shock the boy covered his mouth. I hated guys that were simpletons the most. People who can¡¯t understand words but continue to cling and act petty. I wanted him to leave, but he kept jumping around in front of me. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it if you know who I am.¡± Those who can¡¯t understand the situation but continue to spout petty criticism are the type you need to beat up. When I raised my fist, the startled boy stepped back. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you leave?¡± While running away, he sputtered the words ¡®Wait and see!¡¯ Ugh. It was a sign that today would be unlucky. * * * The next day, I learned the name of the boy who broke into my room was Edrid, and that he is the son of my mother¡¯s brother, the current head of the Lante family. He is Sandoria¡¯s close friend and a comforting brother. Recently, I heard that my grandfather invited him to be of comfort for the depressed Sandoria and to introduce him to me. ¡°Give it to me. Is this all you¡¯ve learned?¡± ¡°Give it back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you, so listen carefully. Here¡­.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to give it to me?¡± Edrid drew closer, acting as if it was his first time seeing me. I have never been this intimate with children of my own age. From then on, Edrid showed up from time to time, stealing my books and making fun of me, so I¡¯d chase him and kick him in the stomach. ¡°Argh!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Edrid would roll around grabbing his stomach in an exaggerated fashion, playing with me like he would a little brother. I guess it¡¯s fun to bare my teeth and chase someone. ¡°Ah!¡± As Edrid ran around with my book he found Sandoria. He dropped my book and ran straight for the child. ¡°Ria!¡± My red-haired cousin Edrid hugged Sandoria and smiled brightly. He spoke as if it had been a long time since seeing her, he¡¯d even run while holding her. I tried not to care about them as much as possible. I picked up the book that Edrid had tossed and began to carefully read it again. Just in case there was something difficult to understand, I sat with a dictionary next to me so I could look it up on my own. ¡°She¡¯s a funny girl.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I heard Edrid saying that about me. Sandoria sounded embarrassed. She seemed somewhat insecure. ¡°I thought it took a week to memorize half of it. Can you believe it? She memorized half of it in a day!¡± Even though they obviously knew I was listening, the two continued to talk like that. No, Edrid was doing all the talking. Sandoria didn¡¯t speak. Although Edrid didn¡¯t mean for his words to be a compliment, that was how I took it. Which secretly made me happy, even though I¡¯d forgotten about half of content because I memorized it stupidly. It was a secret I alone would know and carry. Edrid opened his mouth nonstop. When I struggled to pick up a verse I¡¯d ask, and eventually I was able to memorize the words by heart. Edrid seemed to be interested in me since then. So, he tried to tease me once or twice, but he was sitting with me because it was fun. Sandoria didn¡¯t seem to care much about me. It felt as if I was the only one who found this situation to be awkward and uncomfortable. At some point, the two who stood chatting from afar had disappeared. Maybe it was the absence of Edrid, who was a naughty colt*, that made the silence that followed unpleasant. (*Colt= new born horse. In Korean, calling someone a colt is essentially similar to saying a person is naughty, witty or inexperienced.) Eventually, I went back to my room. Often when I was alone, I experienced the same feeling. My world was small, but Sandoria¡¯s world was colorful. That child had a mother, a father who died, a grandfather, and a cousin to comfort her. It was different from me who had to fight for my life. I peered through the window to see Sandoria and Edrid taking a walk. The two looked friendly, but Sandoria¡¯s face remained gloomy. It seemed only Edrid¡¯s mouth was moving. When I closed the curtain, I was filled with an unexplainable sorrow. That day, I didn¡¯t feel like reading a book. * * * The teacher often quarrelled with me because I am weak in foreign languages. But I knew she didn¡¯t do it with malicious intent. ¡°Your head is no different than a stone.¡± ¡°The name is confusing. It¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°Everyone else memorized it. If you don¡¯t want to memorize it, turn around and leave.¡± As soon as the teacher¡¯s cold voice fell, I bumped my nose into the book. It was a record of the nobles¡¯ family tree. It detailed everything from the position of Yereka down to minor nobility. I was told only when I memorized this could I serve as a proper human in the future. It was incomprehensible to me. ¡°Teacher.¡± The teacher had her arms folded while she looked down at me, turned to Sandoria, ¡°Ria?¡± I was the only one attending class today. Because of Edrid¡¯s visit Sandoria was told she didn¡¯t have to attend class for a few days. Mother said guests shouldn¡¯t be left unattended. ¡°I told you that there¡¯s no class today, tch¡­.¡± The teacher clicked her tongue, saying she had forgotten. I looked up to see Sandoria. If it were me, I would have been pleased, but Sandoria was engulfed in heartache. I couldn¡¯t interpret Sandoria¡¯s despair. Why did her hand tremble? I didn¡¯t understand why it looked like she¡¯d cry if pushed. ¡°There are times when a teacher makes mistakes too. Anyway, I had a hard time today, but it went well.¡± Sandoria quickly covered the smile that appeared on her face. Our teacher called out to her, but the child had already left, running down the stairs. I only saw the child after class. Our encounter was unexpected. Sandoria stood in the spot I often frequented. As a loner I often liked to use that spot to lean on the wall. The child stood there with her ear placed against the wall, the same as I often did. However, unlike my search for tranquillity, Sandoria was overcome with sadness. I asked my grandfather the other day. Do you really think of me as a granddaughter? Maybe I¡¯m just a child with similar hair or eye color. I wondered if Sandoria could be the real successor. ¡®Iara.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Sandoria can¡¯t hear the voice of the wall.¡¯ That was the reason Sandoria was easily ousted from becoming the Yereka successor, and why I was brought here in the first place. There had never been a successor who was unable to hear the sound of the wall. It became obvious after that. Grandfather found a prophet, who informed him that Sandoria was not the successor. The story came out last year. Upon discovering the truth that his granddaughter was swapped, grandfather cleaned house as he grilled and questioned his subordinates. It was by chance that Mrs. Widman found me and brought me here. The sound of the wall could only be heard by direct descendants. Was it fortunate that the wall didn¡¯t choose Sandoria? (T/N: Direct descendants of lara¡¯s father¡¯s bloodline (her father became the successor when his elder brother died).) While I watched Sandoria, my grandfather and mother were taking a walk nearby. It was a coincidence that the family gathered in one place. The two continued to chat in front of the wall. Despite their proximity to Sandoria, she wasn¡¯t visible. At first their conversation sounded like a mumble, but it became clearer as their steps progressed. I hid myself behind a tree. ¡°She¡¯s probably the only one who expresses the sound of the wall like that.¡± (Grandpa) ¡°Did she say that she liked the sound?¡± (Mother) ¡°Of course. She¡¯d live in front of the wall if she was allowed to. If she¡¯s here, she can hear the waves, the birds singing, and the sound of a fallen apple rolling.¡± (Grandpa) At the grandfather¡¯s words, mother grinned as if she heard something lovely. Grandfather smiled brightly and placed his hand on my mother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s unable to express it, but she¡¯s not a child without emotions at all. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s not resentful.¡± (Grandpa) ¡°If it were me, I would be resentful.¡± (mother) ¡°If it were you, you wouldn¡¯t be resentful. Because she seems to have a good heart as much as you.¡± (Grandpa) Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Subsequently, the grandfather added a word. ¡°It seems that her fiery personality resembles yours.¡± (Grandpa) **** Chapter 7 The Emotions of Others At that, mother smiled brightly. I didn¡¯t know that my mother cared about me. She seemed to shy away from me, so I avoided situations where it was just the two of us. I¡¯ve never been able to properly exchange words with her. Sometimes she asked if I¡¯d eaten, but that was all she would ask. Was it because she thought I might be resentful? For some reason, I didn¡¯t want to be discovered here. I cautiously moved away. It was the same for Sandoria. The child retreated. She stood there, peering at them with an incomprehensible look on her face. I hid quietly among the bushes, and only exited after the three left. I got up and headed for the wall. I put my ear to the wall. I lowered my hand and pressed my heart against the wall that held my former mother¡¯s sweet voice. What did Sandoria want to hear? The wall did not answer my question. * * * Using a fork was more burdensome than I thought. It¡¯s easier to use your fingers than to hold a fork and use it to guide food to your mouth. However, at the teacher¡¯s words, ¡®If you want to live like an animal, keep doing it,¡¯ I had no choice but to pick up my fork. ¡°She said it would turn the wall upside down.¡± Hohoho Mother was sitting in front of me, laughing. After the rain stopped, it became a sunny summer day. Mother¡¯s hair looked even redder. ¡°I think the teacher is teaching harshly.¡± Embarrassed, I plucked at the rolling tomatoes with my fork. My mother leaned on her chin and stared at me. My teacher didn¡¯t teach me. But we made a bet. It was a bet I could hardly refuse, since I bet my pride. She said show me you¡¯re not from the back alley, and tell me that what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t what an uneducated beast would do. She said it¡¯s okay to ignore it. But I couldn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t mean to prove those words wrong, but I was bothered every time I thought about it. It was irritating, step by step I followed those words, but I seemed to become quite the person. The more you learn, the more you are able to see. Mother¡¯s elegant hair, her frivolous smile, how dexterous grandpa uses a knife, the perfect actions of Sandoria¡­ The more I looked at Sandoria the more I realized that I had a lot to learn. Sometimes I felt stifled when I had to review what I learned, compared to Sandoria who is said to have learned it as easily as blowing her nose and hiking. Rather than feeling resentful, I couldn¡¯t help but think she was great. As for Sandoria, my appreciation changed for her day by day. Even if she is a delicate and precious lady only in my imagination, she demonstrated an uncommon level-headedness like she didn¡¯t care what was happening, but I also saw the times where she was weak and vulnerable, unable to bear the situation. I didn¡¯t think that kid took what was mine. I never thought of these things as mine in the first place. However, there were times when I was terribly envious. Like when I looked at a portrait of the impeccable child, or when someone would repeat a memorable story that I can¡¯t relate to, or someone¡¯s ability to speak kindly to those they have a hard time dealing with, or when I see that type of kindness that I¡¯m incapable of at the time. I was nothing but a sharp blade. I didn¡¯t know why everyone looked upset or sorry for me. The status of this pickpocket changed in an instant, but I think I should be grateful. I learned what others¡¯ looks meant after some time. To borrow the teacher¡¯s words, they saw me as pitiful, they seemed to think my uneducated attitude and tone were their fault. So, it was embarrassing. It didn¡¯t feel like my attitude would be of much use to me or be something they should feel guilty about. However, I can¡¯t say that I was wrong because I couldn¡¯t learn every single thing. Plus, we¡¯ve only been tied by our shared family name for less than three months. I didn¡¯t understand the meaning of blood ties, and they too seemed to be adjusting to my presence. We needed time to become comfortable with each other. My mother was feisty, never sharing friendly expressions with anyone, including my grandpa. She was always busy and was often out. To borrow my teacher¡¯s expression, she said my mother was sociable. I was told that, as Yereka¡¯s companion, she needed to care for the people inside and outside the wall. Mother was busy taking care of the duties that were originally my deceased father¡¯s responsibilities. Grandpa seemed to be on the soft side. After my father passed away, he became the head of the family again, and my mother kept herself busy, but we¡¯d often make eye contact inside the castle. There was concern in her voice, asking what kind of food was best for me, and if I had any discomfort. I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to not understand. My mother and grandpa never laughed when we held each other¡¯s hands. But I felt it in my bones that we¡¯re family. Whenever I noticed how we resembled each other, such as eyes that looked like mine, or the similar wrinkle in the bridge of my nose every time I smile, I felt appreciation. Previously, I thought that we were unalike. I wondered how similar parents and children would look to one another. ¡°Sandoria.¡± Mother¡¯s eyes were on Sandoria. I looked at the person in the seat next to me, consuming only water. ¡°Do you have no appetite?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sandoria stood up. Mother and grandpa had absurd gazes that were focused on Sandoria, but Sandoria walked away as if unaware. ¡°Sandoria.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Sandoria replied before grandpa¡¯s words could cool. It was as if she was driven out by the gloomy cloud over her head. Silence remained in Sandoria¡¯s empty seat. I didn¡¯t know my mother well, but she must be worried when her child leaves with that kind of complexion. ¡°Hey.¡± I put down my fork that held the salad and responded. ¡°Yeah.¡± My mother licked her lower lip then questioned me. ¡°Does Sandoria make you feel uncomfortable?¡± Grandpa was close to taking a sip of his drink but put down his glass. He looked at my mother. ¡°Sisi, you decided to take it slow.¡± ¡°How deliberate should I be. Should I take a year?¡± The more I looked at it, the more it didn¡¯t fit. My mother and grandpa¡¯s personalities were at odds with one another. My mother spoke slowly, as if to persuade me. ¡°If possible, I will try to accommodate you as best I can. What do you think about Sandoria, can we live together like this? Be honest.¡± Mother ignored the stinging gaze of grandpa. Without turning, she spoke directly to me. I answered without hesitation. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts about it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any thoughts?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rather, I was curious about their thoughts. ¡°What about mother?¡± I don¡¯t know how Sandoria was treated before I came. However, I learned recently, the maids assigned to me were originally Sandoria¡¯s. Before a tailor was formally called for me, the clothes I borrowed belonged to Sandoria. I don¡¯t know if that kid was quiet because she thought what she had was mine, or what she presumed. I couldn¡¯t explain what I felt clearly. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, but should I say I¡¯m sorry? ¡°Does mother hate Sandoria?¡± Mother, who had been sitting proudly, became speechless for a moment. I thought I hit the nail on the head, but I guess not. Then my mother¡¯s eyes turned red. The mask she wore gradually fell, revealing her true feelings. There were times when I was sad to fall asleep after not being able to eat a single piece of bread. I felt embarrassed to make the same expression. ¡°How¡­¡­could I hate her?¡± For a moment, my hands stiffened. Rather than her words, it was because of her tears that rolled down her cheeks. My mother seemed unaware she was crying. Grandpa was also frozen; he was so flustered. ¡°I made that child¡¯s first shoes. How much did I like the sound of the word Mom when I heard it? The first time she walked, the first time she learned to write, the first time the child became frustrated in front of the wall. I recall it clearly. I can¡¯t help but love her, I cherish those memories dearly.¡± Mother¡¯s expression did not change. But she was crying. Her yellow eyes were directed straight at me. ¡°But how about you?¡± I blinked because I didn¡¯t know what she meant. My mother¡¯s shoulders shook when she laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your first words were, what you liked, not even what you might have looked like when you were young¡­.¡± Mother said quietly, ¡®it¡¯s unfair.¡¯ After she muttered those words, she shot her water back like it was a shot of alcohol before she stood. I could see her turn away to wipe away her tears. I wondered what use it would be to turn away at this point when she¡¯d already shown tears, but I couldn¡¯t utter a single word. ¡°I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t have any thoughts. It¡¯s easy because you¡¯re not picky.¡± Mother looked at me quickly regaining her composure. She even had a slightly relaxed smile. ¡°I have an appointment with Mrs. Cathorix, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± No matter how much I looked at it, it was a rather clumsy exit. Sandoria¡¯s vacancy, then mother¡¯s exit created an awkward atmosphere between grandpa and me. I reflected on mother¡¯s words. My childhood, my favourite things, the first words I spit. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Suddenly the tomatoes were bland. The tip of my nose was as cold as it was frozen. I treated my grandpa with a blunt face. Grandpa was about to say something but shut his mouth. It was clear that he had changed his mind after looking at my face. ¡°Shall we get up too?¡± While I was still seated, grandpa walked over to me. He grabbed the hand that I left on the table and pulled me to my feet. I was so caught up in my helplessness that I only woke when I quickly rose from my seat. Grandpa¡¯s smile was kind when he grabbed my hand while we walked. ¡°What are you planning to do today?¡± ¡°Homework.¡± ¡°It sounds like your teacher gives you a lot of homework.¡± ¡°I must have a lot of shortcomings.¡± We slowly exited the dining room. I thought he would let me go, but he held my hand the whole time we walked down the corridor. Beneath my fingernails began to itch, as I wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Then the back of my ears itched, and the soles of my feet grew hot. ¡°Your mother is not good at expressing her feelings. That¡¯s what she learned when she grew up and that¡¯s all she knows now.¡± After we exited the hall and passed the stairs, my grandpa let go of my hand. He bent down so that we made eye contact. ¡°If you¡¯re dissatisfied with your progress, you can work on it. Don¡¯t fret.¡± I rolled my tongue inside my mouth. He nodded as if he could see it, but Grandpa laughed in understanding. ¡°Okay.¡± Grandpa¡¯s hand, which I thought was about to withdraw, rested on top of my head. His soft hand ruffled my hair. The lingering feeling of his touch was conveyed to the tips of my ears. It moved to my itchy neck, shoulders, and chest. I was suffocated by that one feeling long after my grandpa disappeared. I felt annoyed by the cumbersome feelings that lashed me. I need to be a better person. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only * * * T/N: you might notice that iara doesn¡¯t address her mother as ¡°my mother¡± in her pov or calls her mother, it¡¯s coz she still hasn¡¯t accepted her as her mother but don¡¯t worry, she will soon **** Chapter 8 Apologize or Accept It She¡¯s such a terrible teacher who should be fried to death in the sun. She wouldn¡¯t compliment me even once, but always gives me twice the amount of homework I learned. I seemed to have been thought of as incorrect from the start. They say that if you have messy hair, you don¡¯t look good no matter how sweet you are. And as expected I failed without a hitch. Eventually, I gave up my snacks, and locked myself up in the bedroom. When I was tired, I dozed off in bed, got up again, and opened the book by my bedside. I don¡¯t know in what way I¡¯ll be able to use these studies, but after a year, I seem to know more things that I never needed to know. When I got tired of the boredom of studying, I was faced with an unusual news. It was the news from the maid who came to light the candlestick in my room. Sandoria seemed to have fallen ill She had been skipping dinner since last night, and I knew the reason. The child¡¯s face floated in my head throughout my homework, even though it wasn¡¯t my concern. Don¡¯t girls faint with a fuss when they¡¯re pricked by a rose thorn? There was a cold side to the people here too since they realized the child was sick only after the illness symptoms showed up. They should have known that the child was strange from the moment she kept refusing to eat. Whether it was because of the burning study battle or the dull relationship, or whether I was tired of going out like an earthworm for a few days, but naturally, I turned my attention to Sandoria. My mother stopped by her room for a while, so I think it¡¯s okay, but as a person living on the same floor, I think it¡¯s kind of hard for me to shut up and ignore her. That¡¯s why I threw away my book and flung around the hallway in my pajamas because of my nosiness. I¡¯m even doing what I wouldn¡¯t do under the pretext of being bored. Still, there are a lot of sick children in the back alleys, so it¡¯s not something to be proud of, but shouldn¡¯t a slender girl like that be a little more careful? However, when I got to the front door, I was worried. Sandoria could never welcome my visit. She¡¯s sick and weak. I don¡¯t know if I should go in or not? I grabbed the doorknob in front of me but put down my hand, and made a fuss for a while ¡°Iara?¡± Then a fragrant smell came from behind. I looked back and saw Edrid, who had plucked a bunch of flowers. He looked surprised. Just as I was about to go back, Edrid¡¯s hand held my shoulder. ¡°Whoa, where are you going? Since you¡¯re here, let¡¯s go in together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to find something,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know, it¡¯s just something.¡± To be honest, I don¡¯t have a tongue-drying disease*, but what kind of disgrace is this? Is it because I¡¯m not really on good terms with that child? After the big fight in the kitchen back then, I can¡¯t even remember the last time I spoke properly to her. (* She¡¯s saying she doesn¡¯t has any disease related to tongue but still she is having hard time in speaking, so it¡¯s embarrassing for her) But Edrid, who was ignorant and strong, dragged me along. Continuing to argue outside the door would have just awakened Sandoria. It was a long time before I decided that I had better follow him quietly. I tsked at how Erdrid became quiet when I stopped quarreling with him. ¡°Let¡¯s be friends, shall we?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of being so close to you?¡± ¡°I may be able to solve a problem that you sometimes don¡¯t understand with your head.¡± I was really annoyed at the way he was teasing me. Edrid opened the bedroom door, gently raising the medicine. I wanted to squeeze through too, so I followed him in. It was clear from the beginning that he had shown me the medicine in order to lure me in. I stepped on Edrid¡¯s foot without a word, when he was sticking out his tongue as if he didn¡¯t care. A thin cry was heard, like a kitten¡¯s cry. My eyes and Edrid¡¯s opened widely. ¡°Sorry¡­ I was wrong.¡± Edrid¡¯s face stiffened and he approached the bed. I also hesitated to go forward. Sandoria, full of tears, shook her face wildly. It felt like she was being chased in a nightmare. She cried so hard that even the hearts of those who saw it, hurt. ¡°Ria. Wake up.¡± Edrid grabbed Sandoria¡¯s shoulder and shook her. The one who used to be playful didn¡¯t even smile. Sandoria opened her eyes, while biting her lips. The tear-stained eyes of Sandoria contained Edrid. ¡°Ed¡­¡± It was just when I thought she was going to cry. Sandoria¡¯s gaze turned a little, and reached me who was standing behind. Sandoria hurriedly pulled up her pajamas. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Picking up flowers which should have been in the hands of Edrid¡¯s, I found something to say. I thought it was ridiculous that I, who didn¡¯t care before, suddenly volunteered to visit her sickbed. It must have been the same with Sandoria. Her gentle face that had been facing Edrid broke apart. ¡°Do you pity me?¡± Sandoria looked at the flowers in my hand with disgust. Her crying eyes glared at me. ¡°Don¡¯t pity me, I¡¯m not sad enough to be sympathized by you. It¡¯s not even painful.¡± Edrid, who heard it, spoke as if he was bewildered. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°It was a mild fever. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Ria, why are you being so sharp? She was wandering around the door worrying about you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Who asked her to do so?¡± Sandoria looked at me. Her look was plainly telling me to go out. Since she was sick, I understood. It¡¯s understandable that she doesn¡¯t like it because she suddenly has to show her dirty side when she isn¡¯t happy. Originally, she would want to show her comfortable self to those who were comfortable. The same was true for me of course. ¡°I¡¯m going out,¡± ¡°Wait. Come on,¡± I was no longer in the mood to be here, whether Edrid stopped me or not. I was about to leave the flowers that had been plucked on the table, when a cold voice called out. ¡°Take it. I don¡¯t need it.¡± The expression ¡°pulling the goal¡± was used in this case. I instantly got a fever. No matter how much I think about it, it was her fault. My foot that was about to leave stopped and went back again. Sandoria, lying with a pale face, was watching me. Did she want to see if I was going out? (T/N: ¡°pulling the goal¡±- a Korean idiom meaning to trigger something) ¡°What are you doing?¡± I picked up a vase that the maid seemed to have left. After pulling out all the flowers in them and throwing them on the floor, I put the flowers that Edrid had brought them in and placed them proudly beside the bed. ¡°Make sure you get well, okay?¡± Sandoria looked at the vase I had prepared with astonishment. It was a moment when I turned around, hoping that this would be enough. There was a crash and a noise. There was no need to look back. ¡°Sandoria!¡± Sandoria, who managed to get up, provoked me. On the floor was a broken vase, and the flowers that Edrid had picked were rolling sadly. I¡¯ve been controlling my wicked heart well, but she sprung up again and touched my temper. ¡°Your cousin prepared it for you¡± The crack of the vase echoed through the hallway. There was a knock on the door from outside to see what was going on. She even woke the maids who were sleeping in the small room. Edrid looked troubled because he was caught in the middle. said Sandoria firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me,¡± ¡°Lies? Ask your cousin. Is it a lie or not?¡± ¡°Why, have you put Ed on your side now?¡± ¡°My side?¡± I rushed at the child, but Edrid popped up in the middle. Holding my rushing body, he even blocked Sandoria, who was about to rise with one hand. ¡°All right, take it all. I don¡¯t need anything. It wasn¡¯t even mine from the start, ¡°Sandoria! What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Edrid spoke in a voice that showed it was too much, as he tried to stop me from rushing in. I wasn¡¯t surprised at the child¡¯s compassion. Who is the one that should be sad? ¡°Why¡­..have you been thrown away? Is it like a circle, coming back around?¡± ¡°Iara!¡± Then Sandoria¡¯s eyes became sharp. She staggered up and struck my hand. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it was a very dirty move. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste, take it! Instead, don¡¯t look at me pitifully. Don¡¯t pity me. Bad luck. Who do you think you are¡­!¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Sandoria, stop!¡± Edrid caught me off guard for a moment when I bit him in the shoulder. He missed me, and I jumped into Sandoria¡¯s bed. She grabbed my shoulder without a sign of panic. I grabbed the child by the collar. We flung our hands at each other. Sandoria¡¯s hands were evenly smacked on my cheeks, shoulders, and cheekbones. I didn¡¯t know where the strength came from that skinny child. When I hit her in the eye, he screamed. ¡°Shit! Sandoria! Stop!¡± Whether it was the blood from Sandoria¡¯s mouth or mine, the pillowcase was covered in bright red blood. The door burst open as we rolled to the floor. I heard a lot of footsteps. Even if we heard those voices, we couldn¡¯t let go of each other. Our wicked hands were busy looking for more places to break our opponent¡¯s body There was a buzzing sound, like a bee¡¯s wings. I suddenly saw a green firefly. It raised my foot and raised my hand. My body, rolling on the floor, floated into the air. I felt the fishy taste of blood and swung my arms and legs. The same was true of Sandoria in front of me. The child¡¯s limbs were glowing green, too. Our eyes met in the air. ¡°Iara, Sandoria,¡± I looked back at the voice calling for me. My mother, clasping her lips with shock, and my grandfather, raising one hand, stood. Behind them, the maids couldn¡¯t raise their heads. This light came from my grandfather. Thousands of tiny green lights connected to my grandfather¡¯s hands supported us. He slowly lowered us down when he saw signs of calming down. My eyes were red with bruises and my mouth was ripped. As soon as I touched the ground, my ankle ached, I seemed to have sprained. Sandoria¡¯s situation was no different too, as soon as she touched the ground, she collapsed. The silence was not short. Grandpa¡¯s angry voice urged us both. ¡°It must have been an unspeakable fight,¡± Sandoria, who I thought he would say something quickly, only whimpered. Grandpa stared at Sandoria and then stared at me again. I looked as if I had nothing more to say. ¡°No one wants to speak out.¡± Both of us stared at the floor. Edrid, who wasn¡¯t in front of us, stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault. There¡¯s been a misunderstanding. It was just a quick argument.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t cowardly granddaughters who spoke through their cousin¡¯s mouth.¡± I didn¡¯t know because my grandfather always laughed but his angry face was so hard to look at. Isn¡¯t it said that people who like to laugh are more likely to be harsh with words? I was digging the floor with my toenails. It was when my grandfather¡¯s eyes went past me and glanced at Sandoria. The child, who I thought would stay still, opened her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault.¡± The sound of my mother¡¯s breath and grandfather¡¯s eyes focused on Sandoria. Grandpa raised the ends of his eyebrows. ¡°Is it Iara¡¯s fault then?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± She¡¯s such a bad girl. I glanced at the child lying on the back. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who made a mistake, either.¡± Grandpa didn¡¯t say anything. With a shocked expression on his face, Edrid sat down on the bed and closed his eyes. After that, it was my mother who dug into the gap of silence. ¡°Not even boys¡­¡­.¡± When my mother¡¯s low murmur was over, no one spoke more. The maids looked at each other in dismay, and grandfather waited for the excuses to continue. But Sandoria turned her head sharply, and I dug a tunnel with my claws. ¡°If there¡¯s no one who¡¯s wrong, we¡¯ll have to sort out who¡¯s wrong.¡± He had a grave voice unlike a grandfather. My grandfather said slowly, and walked between me and Sandoria. He took hold of my arm, and of Sandoria. ¡°Father,¡± My mother tried to stop us, but my grandfather pulled us up and dragged us out of the bedroom. No one followed or stepped in to stop him. His expression was very determined. ¡°You two are responsible for the future of the West. We can fight, we can hit each other.¡± We were taken away by our grandfather, but we never looked at each other. My grandfather felt cold as if his eyes were hanging on the back of his head. ¡°But I cannot have anyone in my family who says he does not know his fault. You wouldn¡¯t reflect on yourself if you don¡¯t know what you did wrong, and there is no mercy if you don¡¯t reflect. Those without mercy have no hesitation in dragging their families into the fire.¡± Just as grandfather took us both, with no one stopping us, we both just followed his grandfather, not knowing where he was going. In fact, it was the right expression to say that we were taken away, but we did not say words, something like, we did wrong or even apologize, even though our faces were mixed with fear and regret. Maybe that¡¯s what made Grandpa even more angry. A green light rose around my grandfather. The wind swept through our wounded wounds and supported our feet as if they had understood. I walked in the sky without realizing it. The green light gathered like a cloud on my feet, and on Sandoria¡¯s feet. We walked slowly through the sky, while stepping on it. The green light led by my grandfather guided us over the wall. Even though I knew I shouldn¡¯t do that, I was impressed. The green light that seemed to have been made by plowing the green fields allowed me to cross the wall. The night sky was pouring down on me. The star-studded sky was like a ceiling you could reach if you stretched out your hand. It was a sight that I wanted to see even with my head tilted back. We soon saw where Grandpa was taking us. It was a small hut. There were small walls all over the place, and in the round sun, there was a hut alone. There seemed to be no exit. It was impossible unless he climbed the wall. We were placed in the middle of it. There was only one cabin, and the surroundings were surrounded by walls. It was probably a separate place on the outskirts of the castle. We sat down in the green field and looked up at our Grandpa. ¡°I hear you both did nothing wrong.¡± Grandpa bent his knee to meet our slumped gazes. ¡°Iara, Sandoria. Either one of them admits her mistake first.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Will get out of here first,¡± It was my grandfather¡¯s last chance. If we didn¡¯t say we were wrong, he would leave us here. But I shut up. Sandoria¡¯s lips remained motionless too. My grandfather¡¯s wrinkles deepened. ¡°I have no idea,¡± Grandpa stood up at the same time as he sighed. He looked at the hut. ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of food and everything you need.¡± Grandpa summoned the green light again. This time, unlike before, it only covered my grandfather¡¯s feet. We sat on the floor and watched the grandfather raising up. He said he would send people once a day. Only the uncomfortable air between me and Sandoria remained here, after he left those words. Grandpa¡¯s figure disappeared faster than before. I sat there until the little dot was gone. ¡°I have done nothing wrong.¡± Sandoria was a very strong girl. My tongue clicked at her words. ¡°Therefore,¡± ¡°Whether you apologize to each other or stay in this place, those are your only two options.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I can¡¯t believe you said you¡¯d be stuck here for the rest of your life.¡± Sandoria¡¯s eyes were swollen. Her lips were covered with blood. My condition isn¡¯t much different from her too. We looked at each other fiercely and judged that further fighting was a loss. As the night came, it was cold. Without saying a word to each other, we staggered into the hut. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It happened that there were two beds. One on the right and one on the left. I walked naturally to the left and lay down. Sandoria, who was hesitating, lay down on the right side of the bed. We turned our backs and made a painful noise. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m losing my teeth. (T/N: she means to say, it¡¯s not like the end of the world) I felt a slight tingle in my teeth and decided: I will never apologize first. * * * Chapter 9 Chapter 9: Scars When I opened the skylight hut, there were various kinds of jams and breads. Other than that, vegetables and fruits were placed on top of it without being damaged. It was clear that he had done something strange, like a fire that would not go out in the rain. I woke up late and spread some grape jam on my bread and ate it. The bed on the right was already empty. Sandoria seemed to have gone out already. I could see everything through the open window. The child was fooling around outside. It was a smooth wall that was impossible to climb. I have climbed over the walls of other people¡¯s houses but this shiny wall, as if it had been oiled up, could not be climbed without any tools. I needed something a little sharp and hard. Neither of us seemed to have any intention of apologizing, so all that was left to do was to take each other down. We were at a dead end as we tried to bring each other to our knees. At first I was not that angry with Sandoria but when I looked into that child¡¯s spiteful eyes, she glared at me as if I were a stain on her life, but what did I do wrong here? After chewing the bread a dozen more times, I finally concluded that it was not my fault. Don¡¯t want me to pity you? Then don¡¯t go around being all pitiful. I put the rest of the bread in my mouth and went out. I could see Sandoria sliding down the wall even after climbing up with all her might. Both of us were in pajamas without a decent dress. It was pitiful seeing the child with pajamas rolled up to her thighs. I kept walking around the hut looking for a pointed stone. I pushed it into the wall and was about to climb up the wall when I felt a gaze from the side. It was Sandoria staring at my stone. I scoffed and shook the stone. ¡°As expected, there is nothing useless in learning. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± I have climbed over the walls of many people¡¯s houses to know this feeling. Having said that I was proud of it, I slammed the stone into the wall with all my might. I thought it¡¯d leave a scratch, but the wall remained smooth. The walls are also just as hard as stone, and aren¡¯t they made of great minerals? This wall is a rock, and this stone is a rock, and that¡¯s why it¡¯s not getting scratched*. (* The wall is made up of special minerals and naturally the stones around it would be be made with the same composition of minerals in it, so the stone isn¡¯t able to scratch the wall since they both are made up of high quality mineral) ¡°You,¡± Sandoria, who was looking at me, said with a ridicule. ¡°You can talk to the wall, but I guess you decided to hack into it first. Even if you try to hurt it, the walls won¡¯t budge.¡± ¡°Pull your underpants back down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my underpants.¡± We were half fighting. We tried sticking weaved grass onto the wall and then we tried throwing rocks at it in an attempt to scratch it. We gave up before sunset and sat with our backs against the wall. In the meantime, our mouths were alive, and we scratched each other with languid faces. Is your bruise big or is mine bigger? Should you apologize or should I? We stayed until the sun went down, wanting to sit back and receive each other¡¯s submission. The person my grandfather sent came to visit us when we were exhausted and closed our mouths. It was while I was sitting in the green field and watching the night sky full of stars. The man descended from above with the help of the light. ¡°Edrid?¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Edritte ignored the happy call of Sandoria and put his finger on his lips while saying shhh. I cared more about the basket in Edrid¡¯s arms than anything else. It was a basket that smelled delicious all the way here. ¡°At least one of you should apologize. Why are you making such a fuss?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± I licked my dry lips with my tongue while making a quick gesture to Edrid. ¡°Let me see what you¡¯ve got.¡± He threw the basket in front of me with a bored face. I quickly removed the handkerchief covering the basket and took the ham out. I didn¡¯t need a fork or anything. When I grabbed the ham with my bare hands and ate it, I felt like I was finally alive. Edrid said in a stunned voice, ¡°Grandpa told me to ask you one thing. Do you have any intention of saying sorry?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sandoria answered at once, and I shook my head while devouring my ham. Edrid wrapped his head as if he was in pain. ¡°You¡¯re driving me crazy,¡± ¡°If you¡¯re done talking, you can go.¡± Edrid looked at us helplessly. I waved my hand saying goodbye. He tried to ascend into the sky with a sulky face, but came back down again as if he had realized something. Now that I noticed, he could fly in the sky like grandfather. ¡°That¡¯s what it is!¡± While having dinner with the exhausted Sandoria, I had no interest in Edrid¡¯s cheers. But he approached us with a happy expression. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to take this opportunity to do both.¡± When Sandoria and I did not show much interest, it was Edrid who became rather impatient. ¡°Think about it. Why are you letting this quarrel go on to such an extent?!¡± As soon as I finished the ham, I rummaged through the basket. He pulled the basket away with a look of disapproval. ¡°Stop eating and listen to me.¡± ¡°What do you want to say, Ed?¡± Someone finally responded to Edrid¡¯s fuss. Edrid rubbed his hands together with a look of excitement. ¡°I mean, this was originally a very educational space.¡± Edrid said too many words. If I had to pick out only the useful ones from what I heard, it would be this: Just like my grandfather and Edrid called the light to fly, he said that this was a place where they trained themselves to summon some sort of light. Originally, there was one such place for every family, but after thinking about it, I think this is the place. ¡°That¡¯s why he told you to climb over the wall. Whoever awakens the light first¡ª¡± Edrid snapped his fingers as if to give a dramatic effect. ¡°¡ªwill become the winner.¡± The winner. When he said that, Sandoria and I looked at each other at the same time. For a moment, I could read absurdity, fear, and a weak competitive spirit in her eyes. The problem was that I didn¡¯t know what it was, and that Sandoria didn¡¯t seem to know much either. ¡°After all, you both are going to the academy this winter. I think he¡¯ll make you awaken the lights before then. How is it? My guess. Isn¡¯t it perfect?¡± Edrid did not stop showing off. Sandoria and I were distracted by different ideas that crossed our minds. What our grandfather is telling us, is to learn something and then get over the wall and not just climb up ignorantly I kicked the stone next to me. I remembered that I had a hard time all day with bruises and pain. Edrid said someone else would come tomorrow and our hopes faded. Edrid, who said he had only stopped by today due to such circumstances that permitted him to, left. Soon after, a sense of peace, which was rarely felt between us, came over us.. I shut my mouth and looked at the night sky thoughtlessly. Fortunately, the night sky was beautiful. * * * The next morning, as soon as I woke up, I searched the whole hut. I was wondering if I could get any clues. As I continued to rummage through the hut with bread in one hand, Sandoria, who couldn¡¯t find any cluest, said, ¡°It¡¯s crazy. And there¡¯s no way he would have given a clue about this.¡± Sandoria laid down the knife covered with jam roughly. Her body was aching and she couldn¡¯t sleep last night. She might be feeling as sensitive as I am but her arm must be less in less pain than mine. My left arm suffered a lot yesterday because I was nailing the wall all day. What can I do if it happened because I was ignorant? I patted my back and sat down on the floor. ¡°Iara,¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Sandoria saw me covered in dust, and stared straight ahead. ¡°You have no intention of apologizing.¡± ¡°Mhmm,¡± (she¡¯s agreeing) Sandoria wiggled her hands with a determined look on her face. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do this,¡± said Sandoria, stepping out of bed and standing before me. ¡°Whether it¡¯s training or clues, I know a lot more about the light than you do.¡± ¡°So,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything I know. I swear on my name.¡± It was a tempting offer. Still, that part was what I was worried about*. As I looked at her in disbelief, Sandoria lowered her head. (* Iara is worried about the offer being too tempting) ¡°Instead, as Edrid said yesterday, this is a contest. There is a winner and loser.¡± ¡°So,¡± ¡°The loser will kneel down and apologize to the winner.¡± The worst of all was Sandoria¡¯s conviction that she would never lose to me. I scoffed and grabbed Sandoria¡¯s slender wrist. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Throwing ourselves into the fire of competition, we went outside more enthusiastically than on the first day. Sandoraia, who had told me everything, walked like a buffalo and sat down in the middle of the field. Then she looked at me as if telling me to do the same. I had doubts, but I sat down with her. ¡°You¡¯ll also go to the academy in the winter.¡± ¡°Academy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a place called Idriheim. It¡¯s a school floating in the sky of the capital¡ªSepsis. It looks like an island, but I¡¯ve heard that there are all sorts of things in it. Everyday I¡¯ve been looking forward to the day I¡¯ll go there because I¡¯ve only read about it in the books¡± ¡°It seems good,¡± ¡°First of all, in Idriheim, you should know the basics of dealing with light. There are no students who don¡¯t know it. I was supposed to learn from my grandfather this summer, but the schedule was moved up because you showed up.¡± It was the first time that Sandoria had spoken so much. I liked Sandoria¡¯s calm, low voice but I didn¡¯t show it because I felt like I was losing. ¡°In any case, yes. That¡¯s why I said I didn¡¯t know much. Still, there are a few things I learned from reading books¡­¡­.¡± Sandoria stroked the end of the growing grass. My gaze turned to her fingertips. ¡°They say there¡¯s light in these little weeds.¡± ¡°Grass?¡± ¡°So you just have to feel the light.¡± I¡¯ve never heard of such dog shit before, which made my head go numb, but I mustered as much patience as I could. ¡°And,¡± ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± ¡°What?¡± I wondered what great thing she was going to say, but that was it. I was so frustrated that I pushed sandoria¡¯s hand out of the grass. ¡°What¡¯s that? So you¡¯re going to be fiddling with this grass all day?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to do it?¡± ¡°Is there any other way?¡± ¡°I swear. If there was, I would have told you.¡± We looked away from each other as we felt our voices were rising. I made a promise last night. We both are in bad shape, so let¡¯s not raise our voices or fight as much as we can. It was a brief truce. I sat with my knees raised, grazing the grass and watching it. Without a word, Sandoria stroked the grass as if it were a puppy. In a way, it was ridiculous. One (me) was pulling out a lot of grass and pushing it into her eyes, and the other was stroking the grass with a blank look. In the bright sun, with no one around. When I thought of the two of us sitting like that, laughter came out. I tried to hold it in, but Sandoria¡¯s expression was so funny. Her mouth was slightly open, eyes were closed, and she stroked the grass carefully, as if she were touching a great treasure, and it seemed like me and the girl next to me were sick. ¡°Huh,¡± Eventually, it exploded. I couldn¡¯t hold back the laughter that erupted in an instant. I grabbed my stomach and lay on my back. The more I vowed to be patient, the more the laughter grew out of control. Sandoria, who was next to me, looked at me strangely, and laughed after seeing me laughing with tears. She must have also tried to hold back her laughter. Her face crumpled strangely, and her lips were twitching. Sandoria covered her lips, and I rolled over the meadow and laughed. We both were shedding tears until our eyes became swollen, and for a long time, the maid sent by my grandfather stared blankly at the two of us before leaving. I still had no intention of apologizing. But the resentment had already disappeared, and all we had left was homework. It was the homework that my grandfather left with us. The homework that we have to solve and compete with each other. It wasn¡¯t as confusing as it was the first time. There was only a kind of desire left: to complete this homework. * * * I got into the habit of taking a bath once a day. The two of us peeled the dirt off our bodies on the shore of a small lake near the hut. Our pajamas were hanging on the branches. We were sitting with our backs turned, not looking closely at each other¡¯s naked bodies. My back is itchy, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to wipe it gently. I couldn¡¯t wash every inch of my body thoroughly since I wasn¡¯t feeling well yet. Last time, I reached out without realizing it and tried to scratch my back, but I felt pain when my muscles tightened. The situation was not much different from this time, and I let out sounds of pain throughout the washing. Since I couldn¡¯t touch my back, I didn¡¯t feel like I washed it even after washing it. I quickly got out of the lake and wiped myself dry. But the place where I hung my pajamas was near Sandoria. It was the result of throwing it on the tree carelessly as soon as I had taken it off. I called Sandoraia with my knees bent in shame. ¡°Throw me that,¡± At those words, Sandoria reached out without looking back. As soon as she caught my pajamas, she just turned her hands back and waved wildly. I sighed and walked towards Sandoraia. But in the meantime Sandoria, who was impatient, looked back and urged me. ¡°What are you doing? Take it! Take it!¡­.¡± Sandoria, who was staring at me with her eyes wide open, suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes became as round as a full moon. She scanned every inch of my naked body. Feeling bad, I asked, taking my pajamas with me. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°What,¡± Sandoria¡¯s gaze moved to where my navel was. I saw the burn marks there. It was only then that I understood what she was looking at. ¡°I was injured a long time ago. You didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Of course, but I feel like you received that burn from an open flame.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10: Do You Resent Me? Perhaps because she grew up to be a fine lady, she seemed to have never seen such an ugly wound before. The maid who washed my body for the first time also responded similarly. I quickly put on my pajamas. Sandoria¡¯s eyes, however, never left me. I got out of the lake first. Sandoria, who had been absent-minded for a while, came out of the lake soon after. Still, my itchy body felt a little cooler because I washed it. I was walking while drying my wet hair in the wind, and her timid footsteps that followed me from behind kept on walking. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sandoria noticed the meaning behind my question. ¡°What?¡± Today, we were floundering around here and there. We cut and crushed the grass, made a fuss, but we couldn¡¯t feel anything. After all, it wasn¡¯t until sunset when we felt the need to wash ourselves up, and now it was time to feed our exhausted mouths. I was hungry, so I left the tired Sandoria and entered the hut first. The jam and bread I had eaten in the morning were still there. I sat down at the table in a hurry and ate bread with jam. Sandoria, who followed me, closed the door of the hut carefully and crept to my side, quietly pulling out a chair and sitting down. I pushed the leftover bread in front of her. ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded and swallowed the bread. Sandoria glanced at me and looked back at my share of the bread. Neither of us said a word so it was very dry. She was so quiet and so I spoke to her first, ¡°Are we doing something wrong? It could be something other than the grass.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s what the book says. You can feel it anywhere. The grass is just an example, saying that there is light in even something as insignificant as a single blade of grass.¡± ¡°I have a headache.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult,¡± Hence why some people at my age may not be able to go to the academy. If you don¡¯t figure this out, they won¡¯t accept you at all. I heard that no one in the Wittervaldo family has ever failed to enroll in the academy at our age. No matter how stupid I am, I immediately knew that achieving good grades in the academy is a must. ¡°If we both can¡¯t make it,¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to rewrite history.¡± (T/N: by becoming failures) We went to bed because we thought we were going to sound depressed at this rate. I imagined us trapped behind this wall, wearing nothing but rotten pajamas. All right, let¡¯s go to bed. As I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, I heard a shuffling sound from behind. It seems she hasn¡¯t slept yet. ¡°Hey,¡± Sandoria¡¯s voice, with her wavy blond hair hanging down, trembled slightly. I sighed, looked back, and answered, lying face to face with her. ¡°What?¡± Sandoria bit her red lips with her front teeth and let them go. It must have been a difficult question to ask. ¡°Did you get that wound outside?¡± I knew she¡¯d ask. I don¡¯t know why she cared about my wounds, but I figured a curious girl like her would do that. I replied in a disapproving voice, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How?¡± I didn¡¯t understand why she was asking so many questions. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± She still wasn¡¯t honest. It was the same with me. ¡°Same here. There, if you get caught stealing, your arm will be cut off, you will be set on fire, and whatnot. On the contrary, I was quite fortunate.¡± It was when I first learned how to steal. I was seven at the time, and I had to choose between selling my body or stealing things. We were not taught from the beginning how to rob a passerby¡¯s back pocket. Children who have just learned pickpocketing are instructed to steal food. It was only regrettable that the opponent I chose was holding a hot skewer in the fire. I succeeded in stealing food, but he knocked me down and burnt my skin. The area that is not within the surrounding walls, but the one that lies outside those walls, is referred to as the outer wall. People abandoned due to an unknown disease, orphans, fugitives, deserters, and all with stories gathered there. I didn¡¯t sell myself to the old man with rotten front teeth, and I didn¡¯t fucking beg. Anyway, it was like surviving on my own strength. Sandoria, who heard my brief story, seemed very shocked. After a long silence, Sandoria asked sadly, ¡°Don¡¯t you resent me?¡± What you ate, slept and enjoyed, everything you learned, and the love you received and grew up with should have been mine, so why don¡¯t you give it up for me? Such was the resentment that Sandoria spoke of. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± Sandoria looked like she was ready to give up everything from the moment she saw me. She looked as if it was over for her. I didn¡¯t know if Sandoria was a terrible person who would torment me, but if she had begged me not to take away the position, I might have been a little upset. But Sandoria wandered around in the castle with a face of resignation. No one told her how it would end, but she looked as if she had already seen the end. I felt more sympathy than resentment towards that face. When it felt like what I received was not mine, I used to make the same expression as the child. So I didn¡¯t hate her to the point of wanting to kill her. I only hated it when she slapped me on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Grandpa tomorrow.¡± ¡°What?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I¡¯ll apologize.¡± I got up. Sandoria closed her eyes and turned away. I know what that feeling is. The feeling of pity towards me was welling up in her, and so she was trying to wrap herself up in the cave of compassion on her own. ¡°No.¡± This time Sandoria got up. ¡°No matter how much we put our heads together, it¡¯s not going to work. What¡¯s the point of continuing to do something we don¡¯t even know?¡± ¡°Then you go.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I hate shame more than suffering. It¡¯s like being stuck behind a wall like this and having no choice but to apologize.¡± Sandoria shook her head as if what I said was inconceivable. ¡°I don¡¯t accept those kinds of apologies. I will get you down on your knees.¡± (Iara) ¡°What?¡± (Sandoria) ¡°I can¡¯t even eat bread properly because of the wound in my mouth. And you¡¯re just going to end this with words?¡± (Iara) I deliberately laughed and lay on my pillow. ¡°Are you afraid you¡¯ll lose?¡± (Iara) The eyes that had been submissive until now changed. Sandoria bit her lips and covered herself with a blanket. She lay down and turned her back to me. ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t say that just now.¡± (Sandoria) ¡°Sure.¡± (Iara) Sandoria deliberately made snoring sounds. Naturally, no further arguments were exchanged. I closed my eyes and buried myself in bed a little longer. It was such a cool night, as if the wind that came through the open window was talking to me. * * * ¡°How are you?¡± Sandoria had gone crazy. I thought she was just trying hard to provoke me, but I never thought she really went insane. Sandoria refused to eat the breakfast I had prepared and instead went out to lay down on the field. I almost choked on the bread that I was eating when I watched her say, ¡°You have such a beautiful color,¡± She talked to the grass she was happily pulling on and cutting yesterday. The color of the grass wasn¡¯t special or anything, but she caressed it as if it was very lovely. I bursted out in laughter at the sight, but she seemed determined regardless of my reaction. After finishing my meal, I was torn between whether I should join this madness or not. Then I decided to do something else. I tried to remember the meaning of light first. It was said that the green light I saw last time was also in the grass, so this time I looked down and observed it without pulling it out. Sandoria, who was not tired, grabbed only one and hung on it. I lay down on my stomach and stared at the grass. I thought this fellow (grass) in front of me and the fellow next to me looked exactly the same. But when I looked closely, it turned out that this fellow had three leaves, and that fellow had four leaves. ¡°Did you eat less?¡± I nudged the three-leaved fellow with my fingernails. The grass swayed in the gentle wind, as if it were tickling me. I guess I went crazy just by looking at the grass. I touched the grass with the thought of tickling it. I was bored. It was a thought that a five-year-old might think, but the wind was like a lullaby that put me to sleep and the blade of grass was like a friend. I caught a ladybug passing by and played with it while putting it on a leaf. The hot sun was obscured by clouds, letting our sweat cool down a little. Red-roasted Sandoria was still playing with that one plant. Before I knew it, I, too, fell in love with it, observing the small bugs and playing with my fingernails in the grass. There was no single blade of grass that looked identical. Some were paler in its turquoise color, while some were darker. Some had leaves that were pointed and some had leaves that were round. The moment I realized their differences I named the grass in front of me ¡°Three¡±. It had three leaves, so this fellow is Three. To Three, I spoke of this and that. Where is your family? Are they scattered, or are they just seeds blown by the wind? As I continued to talk, the grass waved its leaves in the wind, as if answering. It looked as if it was excited. I dozed off in front of it, and dreamed of flying, before opening my eyes again. The second time I closed and opened my eyes was under the night sky. The wind became a blanket and covered us. Sandoria also lay down next to me and slept. She was holding the grass in her hands. Then I saw the wind take out the hair from Sandoria¡¯s mouth. It wasn¡¯t just an intangible wind, but rather rather was something like a hand. I stooped down at the strange sight. Then someone grabbed my finger. The grass was wrapped around my fingers. It may have been a coincidence, but it wasn¡¯t. I shook my finger, trying to free it, but I felt the grass grip me a little tighter. It was when I got up in confusion that I finally got a good look at this place. Under the black night sky, this place was deserted with no one aside from me and Sandoria. The gray walls surrounded this place in all directions, and the dark green grass bowed and unfolded with the movement of the wind. And there were hundreds of thousands of lights in it. The countless lights went from light yellow to dark green, and then back to green again. It quietly flew in the wind and landed on my finger. It whispered to me, What do you want? The orbs of lights contained by the plants were floating up into the sky. The trees had thousands of lights, the lake released orbs with every wave, and the land shone with a soft red light. Everything has life. And they were showing us the light. ¡°Sandoria, get up.¡± Sandoria blinked slowly at the sound of my voice. A little orb settled on Sandoria¡¯s cheek. It was the light from Sandoria¡¯s grass. Sandora, who was being tickled, laughed and finally opened her eyes. ¡°Wow,¡± The wind swept Sandoria¡¯s wavy blond hair. It was a pity that the light didn¡¯t come out from our bodies and dazzle us. It seemed that the stars fell from the night sky and settled here. We laughed in the midst of a swarm of lights. Lights circled around us, as if enjoying our attention. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Beautiful,¡± Sandoria looked at me and smiled brightly. Without realizing it, I smiled back. Our bodies rose to the sky when our fingertips touched each other while playing with light in our palms. For a moment I was frightened and held Sandorah¡¯s hand. It was not until the light gathered and pooled under our feet when we realized that the lights were forming a staircase. The lights sometimes stuck to our ankles, preventing us from falling. We did not let go of each other¡¯s hands and stepped on the tens of thousands of lights leading to the wall. I stepped, climbed, and balanced on it. Our hands became ropes that guided the other. The stairs of lights continued over the wall. We walked slowly down the stairs, leaving behind the hut in the distance. As soon as our feet touched the ground, the beautiful lights went up into the night sky like a festival. There they danced and waved among themselves. The lovely gesture made me and Sandoria laugh to our heart¡¯s content. Everything in the world has light. That night, we finally understood the meaning.